Venba was just announced for the Nintendo Switch at today’s Indie showcase. First announced at the WholeGames festival over a year ago, Venba is the tale of an immigrant Indian family told through a love of cooking.
We got our first look at Venba hack at the Tribeca Games showcase in June. There we learned that the core gameplay of Venba involves the titular character trying to restore her lost recipes through trial and error. As she does, the player is treated to a heartwarming and emotional story of how Venba and Paavalan struggle to get by as poor immigrants in Canada. When Venba gets pregnant, she and Paavalan have to decide whether to stay in Canada despite poor job prospects or return to India where their son will have fewer opportunities.
Venba is made by Toronto-based developer Visai Studios, so there’s probably a bit of personal experience mixed in with this tale. Judging by the trailer, Venba’s story will be told over years as she restores her recipe book and also teaches her young son how to cook.
All of the recipes in Venba are traditional South Indian dishes, such as the delicious rice dish biryani or idlis, which are basically Indian pancakes. The player has all the ingredients but sometimes doesn’t have the correct directions on when to put them in the dish, how much to include, or what to do after they’ve been thrown into the pot.
Besides cooking, Venba will feature a "story about family, love, loss, and more," as well as a unique soundtrack inspired by Indian musicals. Expect branching conversations, beautiful visuals, and a cozy yet emotional experience.
Today’s Nintendo Indies showcase confirmed Venba for the Nintendo Switch, but it’s also listed on Steam for PC. The Switch version is expected to arrive in the spring of 2023, so that probably will be the same time the Steam version arrives too. Venba’s press page says to expect it to be priced at $9.99, but with inflation the way it is, we should wait for the official release before we say one way or the other.
Source: Read Full Article